Wire netting loom



Sept. l, v1936. H. L. KITSELMAN WIRE NETTING LOOM 8 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 13, 1935 V l l l l l l I l I l 4 l I l I l I l l l l H. 1 KlTsELMAN 2,053,221

WIRE NETTING LOOM Filed Feb. 13, 1935 Sept. L W36.

8 Sheets-Shea?I 2 Iig- NEE. .92 if? 9.?

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1, 1936. H. 1 KITSELMAN 2,053,22E

WIRE NETTNG LOOM u Filed Feb. l5, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. l, 1936.

H. L. KITSELMAN WIRE NETTING LooM 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 13, 1935 I I I l l..

SeptQ 1, 1936. H. L., WTSELMAN WIRE ETT ING LOOM Filed Feb. 15, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 4 E: @La

5615i 1, 1936- H. L.. KITSELMAN 2,053,221

WIRE NETTING LOOM Filed Feb. 13, 1955 8 sheets-sheet e HH/e/avLKITsELnAN,

Sept 1, 1936- H. l.. KITSELMAN 2,053,221

WIRE NETTING LOOM Filed Feb. 13, 1935 8 S'leaelLs-Sheer 7 zal wlllllu Sept. l, 1936. 1 KITSELMAN WIRE NETT ING LOOM Filed Feb. 15, 1955 8 sheets-sheet a Patented Sept. 1, 1936 WIRE NETTING LOOM Harry L. Kitselman, Muncie, Ind., assignor to Indiana Steel & Wire Company, Muncie, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application February 13, 1935, Serial No. 6,290

10 Claims.

My invention relates to machines suitable for use in the manufacture of wire fabric such as that commonly known as poultry netting. Such net-.4

ting is made by deflecting a plurality of parallel mesh wires laterally of themselves and alternately in opposite directions to superpose the deilected portions either upon parallel line wires (in the so-called straight-line netting) or upon the deflected portions of other mesh wires (in fabric of hexagonal mesh). Each set of superposed Wire-portions is deposited in the radial slot of a twisting gear which is then rotated to form a lock by twisting the superposed wireportions together. In quantity production of the fabric, it is customary to arrange the twisting gears in an endless series of rows upon the face of a movable carrier in a pattern corresponding to that of the locks in the finished fabric. As the carrier moves, the superposed portions of the mesh wires are deposited in the successively presented rows of twisting gears and the twisting gears of each row are then rotated simultaneously to form a, row of locks extending transversely of the fabric, the fabric being stripped from the carrier after each row of locks is completed. In prior machines this stripping is accomplished by tension in the fabric as it leaves the carrier; and frequently the tension has to be so great in order to strip the locks from the gears that serious deformation of the fabric results.

In some machines of this general type, the order in which the wires are deposited in each twisting gear is not controlled, with the result that the number of turns or twists in some locks will differ by one-half a turn from the number of twists in other locks; for, unless control is exercised over the order in which the wires are deposited in the twisting gears, the first half-turn of some twisting gears will serve merely to invert the wires respectively associated with them without producing any actual twisting.

It is the object of my invention to produce a machine of the general type referred to above. More specifically, it is my object to produce a machine in which the locks will all have they same number of twists or turns. A further object of my invention is tc avoid deformation of the fabric-mesh when it is stripped from the twisting gears. Still another object of my invention is to provide in association with each row of twisting gears a single set of wire-shifting members which will operate to deflect alternate mesh wires in one direction and the remaining mesh wires in the opposite direction. Another object of my invention is to produce a machine which is equally adapted for the produc tion of hexagonal-mesh fabric free from linwires except at its edges and for the productiol of hexagonal-mesh fabric embodying intermedi ate line wires in alinement with the respectivl longitudinal rows of locks. A further object of m; invention is to produce a machine in which thi mechanism that deflects the Wires laterally wil positively force them into the slots of the twisting gears.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a movable carrier, conveniently in the form of a cylindrical drum, which bears a continuous serie: of longitudinally extending supports each carrying a row of lock-forming devices in the form o: twisting gears. At the sides of each of such twisting-gear supports I provide a pair of shift bar: having outwardly projecting abutments adapte( to engage the mesh wires of the fabric for latera shifting thereof. These shift bars are arranger to be reciprocated longitudinally of themselve: as the carrier moves so that the wire-engaging abutments on the shift bars will deflect the mesi wires laterally into the desired mesh pattern Preferably, each wire-engaging face of the abutments slopes outwardly of the carrier in the drection of its wire-shifting movement so that i1 tends to hold the associated mesh wire agains the face of the carrier and to force it into th( slot of the proper twisting gear when it come: into association therewith.

In the making of hexagonal-mesh fabric, thc mesh wires are preferably fed to the carrier ir two sets, each set comprising alternate mesl` wires of the fabric. The two sets of mesh wire: are fed to the carrier at different points in carrier movement, and the shift bars may be sc moved that the first set of mesh wires is deposited in the twisting gears before the seconcl set comes into association with the carrier. Aftei the formation of the mesh has been completed the line wires are fed to the carrier and deposite in the twisting gears which are then rotated tc form the locks.

In the preferred embodiment of the machine the twisting gear supports are radially reciprocable in the carrier between a position in which they are completely retracted below the outer faces of the shift bars and a position in which they project outwardly beyond the shift bars sc that the wires of the fabric may be seated in the slots of the twisting gears. If, as is preferable the twisting-gear supports in their outermost position extend outwardly beyond the outer ends of the wire-engaging abutments on the shift bars the supports are not fully extended until after the formation of the mesh has been completed; as otherwise, the twisting-gear supports would hold the mesh wires above and out of contact with the 'wire-shifting abutments. Upon completion of the lock-forming operation of each row of twisting gears and before the fabric is removed from the drum, the support for such row of twisting gears is retracted below the outer surface of the shift bars which act as strippers and remove the fabric from the gears without deforming it.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine with parts thereof broken away and illustrated in section in the vertical plane containing the drum-axis; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 3 is a development of certain drum cams embodied in the machine; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the drum; Fig. 5 is a fragmental view similar to Figl l, but on an enlarged scale; Fig. 6 is a fragmental top plan view of the drum and associated parts with portions of the drum broken away and illustrated in section; Fig. 7 is a fragmental view generally similar to Figs. 1 and 5, but on a still larger scale, showing the bars which support the twisting gears in elevated position: Fig. 8 is a fragmental horizontal section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a detail view illustrating how the shift bars are held in place on the drum; Fig. l1 is an isometric view of the subframe through the medium of which the twisting gears are mounted; Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic development of the face of the drum, somewhat idealized, illustrating the method by which the mesh of the fabric is formed; Fig. 13 is a fragmental vertical sectionon the line |3|3 of Fig. 5, showing certain parts broken away; Figs. 14, 15, and 16 are detailed views illustrating the manner in which the mesh wires of the fabric enter the slots in the twisting gears; Fig. 17 is a fragmental illustration of a fabric of hexagonal mesh formed on my machine; Fig. 17a is a view similar to Fig. 17 but showing a modified hexagonal mesh which my machine is adapted to produce; Fig. 18 illustrates a so-called straightline mesh fabric which may be formed on a machine embodying the same principles as those embodied in the machine which forms the hexagonal mesh fabric; Fig. 19 is a fragmental view illustrating the deformation of the mesh which occurs as a result of the twisting operation; and Fig. 20 is a development of a portion of the drum surface of a machine adapted for the formation of straight-line netting.

In the machine illustrated in the drawings the carrier on which the fabric is woven is in the form of a drum built upon a horizontal shaft 2| rotatably supported at its ends in a suitable frame 22. The intermediate portion of the shaft 2| rigidly supports a series of axially spaced spiders 23, while the end portions of the shaft 2|, beyond end spiders 23', extend through stationary drum-cams 24 and 24 secured to the frame 22. The drum, on the surface of which the fabric is formed, is built upon the spiders 23 and 23 and includes an endless series of wire-weaving and lock-forming mechanisms each operated in a denitecycle as the drum revolves, as by cam-groovesfin the stationary cams 24 and 24'. The drum may have an effective axial length equal to the width of the widest fabric which the machine is to produce.

As is evident in Figs. 1 and 4, the spiders 23 and 23 carry an annular series of gear-supports in the form of bars 25 mounted for radial sliding movement between the arms of the spiders. In the machines shown in the drawings there are thirty-six of the bars 25, which are therefore spaced at 10 intervals; but theV number of bars may vary. These bars extend for the full length of the drum and each has its outer face deeply grooved for the reception of a series of spaced twisting gears 26 and a rack 21 disposed beneath the twisting gears and longitudinally reciprocable to rotate them. The twisting gears are arranged cn the drum-surface in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the locks in the fabric which is to be produced. Thus, if the machine is to produce fabric of hexagonal mesh, the twisting gears 26 in each bar are staggered relatively to the twisting gears of adjacent bars, asis apparent from Fig. 12. (Fig. 12 also shows certain auxiliary twisting gears 26', the purpose of which will become apparent hereinafter.)

The twisting gears are of known form, each having a radial slot extending inwardly from between two adjacent teeth to a point past the gear axis for the reception of wires which are to be twisted together by the rotation of the gear to form a lock in the fabric. The slot in each twisting gear has a width slightly greater than the diameter of the fabric-wires in order to permit easy entrance thereof but materially less than twice such wire-diameter so as to insure that the wires will be twisted together as the gear is rotated. In the normal position of each gear, its slot opens outwardly of the drum in co-planar relationship with slots 25 in the associated gearsupport 25.

On opposite sides of each of the gear-supports 25, there are mounted on the outer surface of the drum a pair of axially extending shift bars 28 adapted for longitudinal sliding movement. As l is evident from the diagrammatic and idealized showing of Fig. 12, the shift bars 28 associated l with each bar 25 are interconnected for joint axial movement as a unit. The pairs of shift barsA project alternately in opposite directions beyond the I face of the drum, those projecting to the left being provided respectively with cam-rollers 30 operating in a cam groove 3|, while those projecting to the right are 4provided respectively with cam-rollers 30 operating in a cam groove 3|'. The cam grooves 3| and.3| shown as developed in Fig. 12, are out in the cylindrical faces of the stationary drum cams 24 and 24' respectively.

Each of the shift bars 28 is provided with a longitudinally extending series of wire-engaging abutments conveniently in the form of pins 35. The arrangement of the pins 35 on the shift bars may depend upon the type of netting to be produced. If hexagonal-mesh fabric is to be made, the pins are arranged in pairs, the two pins of each pair preferably sloping outwardly from the drum in opposite directions, and the pairs of pinsbeing spaced apart a distance equal to the space between adjacent twisting gears in any gear-support 25. In the normal position of the bars 28, illustrated at the extreme top and bottom of Fig. 12 and also in Fig. 14, which is the position they occupy during the major portion of each rotation of the drum, each pair of pins 35 occupies a position intermediate between adjacent twisting gears 26 on the associated support 25.

At the point where the first set of mesh wires A comes into association with the drum, the gearsupports 25 may be retracted so that they lie below the outer surfaces of the shift bars 28, while lon to the drum.

the shift bars 28 are at rest in their normal position. (Fig. 14). The wires A are spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between adjacent twisting gears 26 and rst engage the drum on the outer surfaces of the normally positioned shift bars 28, with each wire disposed axially of the drum in a position approximately midway between the limits to which it will be deiiected. The manner in which the mesh of the fabric is formed is perhaps best apparent from Figs. 4 and 12. In

these two figures of the drawings, for clarity inl illustration and description, certain of the gearsupports 25 and certain pairs of shift bars 28 are separately identified by sub-scripts.

Each wire A crosses the normally positioned pair of bars 28a immediately to the left of a pin 35 which slopes outwardly and to the left, and thence crosses the next pair of bars 28h, also normally positioned, immediately to the right of pins 35 which slope outwardly and to the right. (See also Fig. 14.) As the drum rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 12, the shift bars 28 first move axially inwardly to deflect those portions of the wires A engaged bythe pins upon them into alinement with the slots in the several twisting gears 26. At the conclusion of the inward movement of each pair of shift bars they dwell for an interval, here shown as 10, ln their inner positions. The bars 28d are shown in Fig. 12 as having progressed halfway through such dwell. Before the dwell of the bars 28d has terminated, the associated gear-support 25d located between such bars will be raised slightly in order to deposit the wires A in the narrow portions of the slots of the twisting gears before the bars 28d move axiallly outwardly. (See Fig. 15.) The gear-support 25d is shown as so raised in Fig. 4, where the drum is illustrated as rotated 5 (half the interval between adjacent rows of gears) beyond the position shown in Fig. 12. The raising of the gear supports 25 need not necessarily occur during the dwell at the end of the inward mov'ement of the shift bars 28; it is only essential that they be raised before the dwell is terminated.

As the drum continues to rotate,the shift bars move outwardly from their respective inner limits of movement leaving the wires A in place in the twisting-gear slots. The bars 28e are shown in Fig. 12 as having just started this outward movement, while the bars 28j have nearly completed it. At about or before the time when the shift bars pass through normal position in their outward movement, the second set of mesh wires B are fed (See also Fig. 15.) The wires B are spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent twisting gears 26 and each is positioned axially of the drum so as to be engaged by leftwardly moving pins 35 which slope outwardly and to the left and by rightwardly moving pins which slope outwardly and to the right. As the shift bars continue their respective outward movements, the wires B are offset and deposited in the proper twisting gears, entry of tne wires into the gear-slots being facilitated by the inclination of the pins 35.

Following completion of the outward movement of the bars they dwell in their respective outer po.- sitions for an interval here shown as 20. In Fig. 12, the two pairs of bars 28g and 28h are shown at intermediate points of such dwell. After the wires B have been deposited by outward movement of the shift bars, and preferably while each pair of bars 28 dwells at the limit of.

their outward movement, the gear support 25 between them is raised further to bring the bottoms of -the slots in the twisting gears above the outer surface of the shift bars and to seat the mesh wires firmly in the gear slots. The support 25g is illustrated in Fig. 4 as just starting this upward movement, while the next support 25h has completed it. (See also Fig. 16.)

At the conclusion of the dwell at the outward limit of their movement, the shift bars return to their normal positions leaving the mesh wires behind in the slots of the twisting gears. In Fig. 12, the pair of shift bars 281- are shown as just starting their return to normal position, while the shift bars 287' and 28k have completed their return.

Beyond the point in the direction of drum 'rotation at which the shift bars 28 return to their normal position after forming the mesh, the margin wires C of the fabric are brought on to the drum in position to be received in the slots of the proper twisting gears, as indicated near the top in Fig. 12. If two margin wires are employed at each edge of the fabric, I consider it desirable to twist them together over those portions of' their length where they are not coincident with mesh wires, and to this end I may provide the gear supports 25 with auxiliary twisting gears 26 vdisposed as indicated in Fig. 12. To adapt the machine for the manufacture of netting of Various widths, each support 25 may be provided with a plurality of the auxiliary twisting gears 28', the spacing between such auxiliary gears corresponding to the standard increments of fabric-width.

Foi-lowing placing of the margin wires C in the slots of the twisting gears, the racks 21 are moved longitudinally as the rotation of the drum continues to rotate the twisting gears to form the locks in the finished fabric. After the locks have been formed, the gear supports 25 are retracted, as indicated near the bottom of Fig. 4. During this retraction of the supports 25, the bars 28 act as strippers to remove the locks from the slots in the twisting gears. The retroaction of the gear-supports 25 is completed before the finished fabric leaves the drum and while it is still supported on the outer faces of the shift bars. ITherefore, at the point in drum-rotation where the fabric leaves the drum, there is nothing which tends to prevent its free and ready removal; and I thus avoid the distortion of the mesh which occurs in machines so arranged that the locks are stripped from the twisting gears solely by the tension in the finished fabric as lt leaves the drum.

While it is not essential that the pins 35 slope as indicated in the drawings, I prefer to so slope them, as the deposition of the wires in the slots of the twisting gears is thereby facilitated. From Figs. 15 and 16, it will be apparent that each of the pins 35, by reason of its-slope, bears on the wire it engages with a force having a downward component which forces the wire into the twist ing-gear slot when it comes into alinement therewith or which holds the wire against any tendency to rise when the gear-supports 25 move radially outwardly in the drum.

Having described in general terms the construction and mode of operation of the wireshifting and lock-forming devices, I shall now describe preferred details of construction of -such devices and of the mechanisms which actuate them.

Each of those shift bars 28 projecting leftwardly from the drum is secured to a shift rod 40 mounted for longitudinal reciprocation in a suitable opening in the spider 23' at the left-hand end of the drum. The several rods 40 extend across the face of the drum cam 24 and have their outer ends slidably received in guide openings in a ring gear 4| which is rotatably mounted on the cam 24 and driven, by means vhereinafter to be described, at the same speed as the shaft 2| and the parts it carries. Adjacent shift rods 40 attached to shift bars 28 disposed on opposite sides of the same set of twisting gears are connected together by being attached to a block 42 upon which is mounted the cam roller 30 that operates in the cam groove 3| in the outer surface of the drum 24. For the purpose of accurately positioning the shift bars 28, each of the shift rods 40 conveniently passes loosely through an opening in the block 42 and is screw-threaded in the vicinity of such block for the reception of a pair of clamp nuts 43 that bear on opposite sides of the block 42.

Additional support for each block 42 may be provided by a pair of guide rods 44 which are slidably mounted in the gear 4| and in the adjacent end spider 23 to move with the bars 40. 4

The shift bars 28 projecting beyond the right end of the drum are operated by similar mechanism including shift rods 40', ring gear 4| blocks 42', and guide rods 44 located at the righthand end of the drum, rollers 30T on the blocks 42' being received in the cam groove 3| in the stationary cam 24'.

A suitable expedient for interconnecting each of the shift rods 4U and 40' with its associated shift bar 28 and guide rod 44 or 44' is illustrated at the right in Fig. 5. Each of the shift rods 40 and 40' and the guide rod 44 or 44 immediately beneath it projects inwardly through and beyond the adjacent end spider 23 into the space between two adjacent bars 25 cf the drum, as is apparent from Fig. 6. Between the inner end of each shift rod and its associated guide rod, there is mounted a block 45 held in place by a screw 46 which passes through the shift rod and block and into the associated guide rod. In addition, the shift rod and the block 45 are provided with opposed transverse grooves for the reception of a key 41 which aids in the transmission of thrust between the shift rod and the associated shift bar 28. At its inner end, the block 45 is provided with an inwardy extending ledge or shelf 48 having a width sufficient to receive two immediately adjacent shift bars 26. The shift bar 28 which is to be moved by the shift rod is secured in place on the shelf 48, as by welding; while such shelf provides sliding support for the other and independently moving shift bar 28 resting upon it.

For the intermediate portion of their lengths, the shift bars 28 are supported on guides 49 (Figs. 8 and 9) which rest upon the outer ends of the arms of the spiders 23 and 23' and are secured thereto as by countersunk screws 49'. The outer face of each guide 49 may be grooved for the reception of two shift bars, the walls of the groove providing lateral support for the shift bars. At points intermediate the spiders 23, each guide 49 is provided with one or more hold-down screws 50 passing outwardly between the two shift bars 28 associated with such guide, adjacent faces of the bars 28 being cut away as indicated in Fig. 10 so that the presence of the screws will not interfere with shift-bar reciprocation. The outer edge of each such cut-away portion is formed with a rabbit groove for the reception of the head of the hold-down screw 50.

To prevent endwise movement of the supports 25 which carry the twisting gears 26, each of such supports may be reduced in thickness at its ends 'face of the drum-cam 24.

where it passes through the end spiders 23' of the drum to provide shoulders (Figs. 5 and 6) which bear against the inner faces of the end spiders and hold the bar in proper axial position. Each end of each support 25 projects outwardly through and beyond the adjacent e`nd spider 23 and has secured to it, as by welding, the spindle 56 of a cam roller 51 which is received in a cam groove cut in the inner end face of the adjacent cam drum 24 or 24'. At or near the top of the cam drums, where the force of gravity holds each roller 51 in contact with the inner face of its cam groove, the outer wall of such cam groove may be cut away for a short distance as indicated at 58 to permit the radial removal of any of the supports 25.

The racks 21 which operate the twisting gears 26 project alternately in opposite directions beyond the ends of the drum. 'I'hose of such racks which project ieftwardly from the drum are operatively connected to blocks 60 which are slidably mounted on the shift rods 40 and guide rods 44 and which are provided with cam-rollers 6| received in a cam groove 62 cut in the cylindrical To permit accurate axial setting of the racks 21, each of them is preferably not connected directly to its associated block 68 but instead is connected thereto through the medium of a screw 63 which is slidably received in the block 60 and provided on opposite sides thereof with clamp nuts 64 by means of which the longitudinal position of the screw in the block may be adjusted. As the drum revolves, the racks 21 move radially with the bars 25 in which they are respectively mounted, and to accommodate such rack-movement each rack may be connected to its associated screw 63 by means of connecting plates 65 which are secured to opposite sides of the rack in position to embrace the head of the associated screw 63 and which are provided with radial slots for the reception of a transverse pin 61 mounted in the head of the screw.

The racks 21 which project beyond the righthand end of the drum are operated by similar mechanism including blocks 68' which are slidable on the shift rods 46' and guide rods 44 and which carry cam-rollers 6| received in a camgroove 62 in the cam 24. At the right-hand end of the drum, the connection between each rack 21 and its associated block 66' may be the same as that employed at the left-hand end of the drum.

Preferably, the twisting gears 26 are not mounted directly in each support 25 but instead are provided with hubs 18 receivable in openings 1| in a pair of plates 12 between which the twisting gears are located. Each gear-support 25 may have associated with it a series of such pairs of plates 12 each pair providing a mounting for a relatively small number of twisting gears. Thus, each pair of plates, with the gears it carries, can be removed as a unit from the associated support 25 without disturbing any of the other twisting gears or mounting plates 12 associated with such bar. Conveniently, the deep groove in the outer face of each support 25 which receives the rack 21 has a width sufficient to receive the spaced plates 12 of each pair of plates for its entire depth, so that the inner faces of such plates provide a bearing for the opposite side faces of the associated rack. The plates 12 may be held in place by means of pins 13 which extend through appropriate alined openings in the plates and'in the supports 25.

. front of the machine.

Gears are secured to opposite ends` of the shaft 2| and mesh respectively with pinions 8| rigidly mounted on the ends of a shaft 02 supported in suitable bearings in the frame 22 `of the machine. The gears 80 are of the same size as the ring-gears 4| and 4|', which are driven from the shaft 82 through pinions 83 to4 rotate at the same speed as` the drum and to maintain each ring-gear and the adjacent end spider 23V positively in alinement. One of the gears 80, here shown as the gear at thev left-hand end of the machine, ymeshes with a drive pinion.85 operatively connected through a suitable clutch 86 to a source of power, such as an electric motor 81 mounted on the frame 22.

The mesh wires of the fabric are fed from in` wires extend downwardly and forwardly and over individual wheels 92 mounted in spaced rela.- tion on a shaft 93 which extends across the Alternate wires constitute the set of wires A which are first fed to the drum and pass from the wheels 92 downwardly and around a second set of wheels 94 mounted on a shaft 95, and thence through a set of guide-tubes 96 to the drum. The remaining mesh wires, the set B, pass around their respective'wheels 92 on the shaft 93 and thence extend through a set of guide tubes 91 to the drum. Margin wires C pass from suitable stock reels (not shown) in rear of the machine Vover properly located' guide Wheels 98 rotatably supported 'Aon a shaft 99 which extends parallel to the drum and in rear of and above it. v

In setting up the machine, the mesh' wires are brought forward in spaced relation over the bar and wheels 92, alternate wires continuing downwardly around the wheels 94 ,and through the guide tubes 96, while the remaining wires pass through the guide tubes 91. The wires emerging from the guide tubes-are fed to the drum in proper spaced relation, their ends being secured to the drum in any convenient manner, as by twisting them around the pins 35. Margin wires C may be started in similar fashion.

As the drum rotates, the pairs of shift bars 28 successively reciprocate in the manner set forth above, and cause the pins 35 to progressively deflect the mesh wires and to deposit them in the twisting-gear slots in the hexagonal meshpattern illustrated in Fig. 12. Beyond the point in drum-rotation where the shift bars 28 have returned to their normal position after forming the mesh, the margin wires C are fed on to the drum at the edges of the fabric and deposited in twisting gears 26 and 26'. As rotation of the drum continues, the racks 21 are succesively .moved axially outwardly to rotate their associated twisting gears and form successive rows of locks across the fabric. Before each rack moves outwardly the twisting-'gear support with which it is associated has been raised to the limit of its movement. Following the completion of each successive transverse row of locks, the associated twisting-gear support is retracted inwardly of the drum, thus stripping the fabric from the twisting gears as above set forth. The finished fabric, after the twisting-gear supports have been retracted, leaves the drum and passes over "doted-line showings in Fig. 19.

a guide roll |00 to a suitable take-up mech: 'nism |0l.

In deecting the-mesh wires infto the desir1 pattern, it is necessary to provide a certa: amount of slack to be taken up when the loci are formed. To this end, the distance betwee directly opposite pins on each pair of shift ba 28 is somewhat greater than the lengthof tl Y lock which the machine is to f orm, as is apparei from a comparison between the full-line ar The form1 showing illustrates the formation imparted to tl mesh wires by the pins, while the latter shov the shape of 'the mesh after the twisting oper: tion hasbeen completed. It is through this e: pedient that the slack necessary in the form: tion of each lock is created.

Thercam grooves 62 and 62', which opera' the racks 21, are preferably so arranged as 1 pull their associated racks during the twistir stroke thereof, thus avoiding the imposition 1 columnar stresses on the racks. This is apparel from the developed view of the two cams 24 ar 24' shown in Fig. 3, each rack being drawn ou wardly of the drum to cause a lock-'forming r1 tation of its associated twisting gears as its a: sociated cam-roller 6| or 6| moves along tl inclined portion |05 of the cam-groove 62 1 62'. The inclined portion |05 of each of tl rack-operating cam grooves has an axial extei suilcient to cause the twisting gears to rotai somewhat past their normal position illustrate in Fig. 7 at the completion of the lock-formi: movement, the cam` grooves 62 and 62' beir formed beyond the inclined stretches |05 so s to return or back oi the twisting gears 26 an 26' to such normal position. This excess rots tion and subsequent backing olf of the twistir gears tends to free the wires in the twisting gear slots; as otherwise, the elasticity of tk wires would cause them to bind. At the cor clusion of the back-olf of the twisting gears 1 each row or gears, the associated rack 21 dwel for an interval during which the associated sur port 25 is retracted inwardly beyond the out( surfaces of the shift-bars 28 as indicated in tl lower right-hand quadrant of Fig. 4 to strip tk locks from the gears. During the interval i which each gear-support 25 is retracted the rac 21 associated therewith is returned to its norm: position by the inclined portion |06 of the ass( ciated cam-groove 62 or 62.

To avoid imposing on the frame 22 the axi: thrust which the cams 24 and 24' sustain durir the lock-forming operation, the thrust on or cam is balanced against that on the oth1 through the shaft 2| and anti-friction thrus` bearings |01. (See Figs. l and 5.)

The number of rotations which each twistin gear makes in the formation of the locks ma vary with the size of the mesh of the fabric. contemplate that the machine shown in the drav1 ings will impart three lock-forming turns to eac twisting gear; although with the arrangemer of cam grooves illustrated in Fig. 3, three turns 1 the twisting gear will produce a two and one-ha turn lock in the fabric. This results from tk fact that the mesh wiresA and B are deposite in the twisting gears in such an order that tk rst half-turn of each twisting gear merely ir verts the two wires it contains. (See Fig. 16. To obtain a full three-turn twist in each lock would be necessary either to invert the oai grooves 62 `or 62 so that they push their assoc ated racks inwardly during the lock-formin operation or to invert the cam grooves 3l and 3|' so that the rst movement of the shift bars 28 would -be outwardly 'o'f the drum instead of inwardly as indicated in Fig. 12. In the latter instance, the wires A would be fed to the drum at axial positions corresponding to those shown for the wires B in Fig, l2, and vice versa.

By providing the bars 25 with transverse grooves H0 similar to and disposed intermediate the grooves 25', the machine is adapted for the formation of fabric having a mesh illustrated in Fig. 17a, in which line wires D are incorporated at intervals between the edges of the fabric. If

this is to be donel the line wires D are fed to the drum with the margin wires C, the wires D being spaced at proper intervals to enter the slots I l0 in the bars 25. .v

While the machine as so far described and illustrated is adapted for the production of hexagonal mesh, as shown in Fig. 17, it is apparent fr om Fig. 20 that a machine embodying the same principles of operation can be employed in-the production of the so-called straight-line mesh of the type shown in Fig. 18. In a machine adapted for the production of straight-line fabric, the

gears 26 in adjacent bars 25 would not be stag-1 gered, as the locks in the finished fabric are not staggered. The machine might embody the same shift bars 28 as those used in machines for producing fabric of hexagonal mesh, but the cams operating such shift bars would be so arranged as to provide for each pair of shift bars a normal position such as is illustrated in full-lines in Fig. 20 and to move each pair of shift bars from their full-line to their dotted-line position. It will be apparent from Fig. 20 that only one pin 35 of each pair 'of pins will operate on the mesh wire, but the presence of the other pin of each pair does no harm. In the machine adapted for the production of straight-line mesh, there will be but one set of mesh wires A, which may be fed to the drum either before or after the line wires D are deposited on the drum. If each pair of shift rods 28 is pulled during its'wire-shifting stroke and if the racks 21 are pulled during their working stroke, the line wires D will have to be deposited in the gear slots before the mesh wires A if each .lfck of the finished fabric is to have a full turn for each rotation made by the twisting gears during their lock-forming operation; as otherwise, the first half-turn of each twisting gear would merely invert the wires within it.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a machine for making wire fabric, a movable carrier, a continuous series of rows of lockforming devices mounted in said carrier, a pair of shift-bars disposed on opposite sides of each row of lock-forming devices, the two shift-bars of each pair being interconnected for joint longitudinal movement, wire-engaging abutments on said shift-bars, means for feeding one set of alternate mesh wires of the fabric into association with said abutments at one point in the movement of said carrier, means for feeding a second set of mesh wires into association with said abutments at a later point in the movement of said carrier, and means operable in the movement of said carrier for reciprocating said shift-bars first to deposit the rst set of mesh wires respectively in said lock-forming devices and then to deposit the second set of mesh wires in said lock-forming devices. Y

2. In a machine for making wire fabric, a movable carrier, a continuous series of rows of lockforming devices mounted in said carrier, a pair of shift-bars supported from said carrier on opposite sides of each row of lock-forming devices, the two shift-bars of each pair being interconnected for joint longitudinal movement, wireengaging abutments on said shift-bars, means for feeding mesh wiresof the fabric in spaced relation into association with said abutments, and means operable in the movement of said carrier for reciprocating said shift-bars to deflect each mesh wire alternately in opposite directions into association with successive lock-forming devices.

3.` In a machine for making wire-fabric, a row of lock-forming devices,` a pair of shift-bars disposed on opposte sides ofsaid row of lock-forming devices and interconnected for joint longitudinal movement, a series of outwardly projecting wireengaging abutments on each shift-bar, means for feeding mesh wires of the fabric in spaced relation into association with said-abutments, and means for reciprocating said shift-bars to deflect each mesh wire laterally of itself, each wire-engaging face of said abutments sloping outwardly of said carrier in the direction of its wire-shifting move- 4. In a machine for making Wire fabric, a row of lock-'forming devices, a support therefor, wirefeeding mechanism, wire-deflecting mechanism including a pair of movable shift-bars disposed on opposite sides of said,support,-and means for retracting said support beneath-.the wire-engaging faces of said shift-bars while leaving the fabric supported thereon.

5. In a machine for making wire-fabric, a movable carrier, means for feeding wires thereto, mechanism operable as the -carrier moves for deecting said'wires to form them into a mesh on the surface of the carrier, a plurality of rows of lock-forming devices, a support for each row thereof. said supports being mounted in said carrier and movable relatively thereto to carry their respective lock-forming devices into and out of the plane of the wire-mesh on the surface of the carrier, means operable in the movement of the carrier for so moving said supports, and mechanism for causing lock-forming operation of each row of lock-forming devices while they are in association with the wire-mesh on the surface of the carrier.

6. In a machine for making wire-fabric, a series of parallel rows of lock-forming devices, wire-feeding means for feeding a plurality of Wires in spaced relation, a pair of movable wireshifting members disposed on opposite sides of each row of lock-forming devices, the two members of each pair being interconnected for joint longitudinal movement relative to the associated row of lock-forming devices, and means for reciprocating said wire-shifting members to deflect the wires alternately in opposite directions into respective association with said lock-forming devices.

'7. In a machine for making wire-fabric, a row of lock-forming devices, a support therefor, a pair of members disposed on opposite sides of said support, and means for moving said members and said support relatively in a direction perpendicular to the plane of wires in said lockforming devices to strip such Wire from said lockforming devices.

8. In a machine for making wire-fabric, a rotatable drum to which wires are fed at one or more points and from which fabric is removed at another point, means carried by said drum for progressively forming said wires into a woven fabric as the drum rotates, said means including rows of lock-forming devices, and mechanism carried byv the drum for stripping the fabric from each row of lock-forming devices before the fabric is removed from the drum.

9. In a machine for making wire-fabric, a rotatable drum to which wires are fed at one or more points and from which fabric is removed at another point, means carried by said drum for progressively forming said wires into a woven fabric as the drum rotates, said means including rows of lock-forming devices, and mechanism for stripping the fabric from each row of lock-forming devices before the fabric is removed from the drum.

10. In a machine for making wire-fabric, a rotatable drum to which wires are fed at one or more points and from which fabric is remo' at another point, means carried by said drum progressively forming said wires into a woi fabric as the drum rotates, said means includ an endless series of axial rows of lock-form devices, an actuating member associated w each row'of lock-forming devices and mova axially of the drum to actuate the lock-formi devices of such row, said actuating members p: jecting alternately in opposite directions beyo the ends of said drum, a cam disposed at ea end of said drum for moving the actuating devil projecting therebeyond; and a thrust-bearing c erative between each cam and the adjacent e of the drum.

HARRY L. KITSELMAN. 

